Karthik Nemmani, 14, from McKinney, Texas, nabbed the Scripps National Spelling Bee champion title on Thursday night in Oxon Hill, Md.

Tupac Mosley overcame homelessness to graduate as valedictorian, writes Jonathan E. Collins, but there’s an overlooked part of his inspirational story: policy.

Parent and teenager.

A new generation of Iowans are preparing to caucus for the first time. Here's how their teachers are preparing them, and what it says about civics education in 2020.

The ancient Egyptian girl was only 15 or 16 years old when she died

Service Team members share why they enjoy being onsite during Setup Week, when the vision of TeenStreet becomes a reality for them, and what part of the upcoming conference they are most excited for.

How do you encapsulate everything that goes into a full week of teaching, worship music, workshops, meals and so much more? Enjoy a brief overview of TeenStreet 2019.

Ottawa police have arrested a 15-year-old boy in connection with January's shooting. He's charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder.

Teenager Theland Kicknosway's annual run for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is being turned into a virtual event this year, and he's calling on people from across North America to join him.

Two additional men have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 17-year-old Brampton boy shot and killed on New Year's Eve.

Can young people be united in faith, irrespective of their ethnic background? The answer is yes!

Denver Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- A young Catholic artist has drawn an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her parents' driveway bringing religious art to her local community during the quarantine.

The Diocese of Fargo posted on Facebook May 4 an image of Our Lady of Lourdes drawn by Maria Loh, a 17-year old who grew up in Fargo. She said it was an enjoyable experience to share her faith and art with her neighborhood.

“Being able to interact with people when they walked by was very moving in a way because a lot of people have never really seen sidewalk art done like that locally. So being able to share in that kind of experience, it was very, very good,” she told CNA.

Loh has recently been inspired by chalk art and pastels, which, she said, have vibrant and beautiful colors. She has drawn on the sidewalks a few times, including two images of Mary - Madonna of the Lillies and the Pieta by William Adolphe-Bouguereau.

Her most recent chalk drawing was Our Lady of Lourdes by Hector Garrido - an image she had seen as a magnet on her grandparents' refrigerator growing up. The picture has always been an inspiration, she said, noting that she decided to replicate it after Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in France had temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I heard that the shrine had been temporarily closed off to the public, and I remember … thinking that's really sad because especially in this time, we’re really looking for healing in more ways than one, like physically and mentally and spiritually,” she said.

“It really felt like people wouldn't be able to go to experience that. So I felt like drawing this image of Our Lady of Lourdes would be a good way to remind people that Our Lady is still with us even if we can’t go to her shrine.”

Loh, the oldest of five, has been involved with art projects and drawing for her entire life. She said, growing up in a Catholic family, she has been inspired by her faith and the religious art in churches.

“I see our faith as so precious... Especially in the form of the Eucharist - the actual body and blood of Christ, I've seen that we are very blessed to have that in our faith. It's something that has impacted a lot of my life growing up,” she said.

While she was working on the piece, Loh said, a majority of passersby did not know who the lady in the image was. She expressed hope that the picture would help remind people of Mary and the beauty of the Church, which, she said, is a powerful attraction to the faith.

“One thing that I hope this kind of art and image will evoke is a desire to come to know who Mary is and how rich our faith is. … All the beautiful art that can be seen in Catholic churches, especially like in Rome, there's almost a transcendental beauty to them that draws people into the faith to come to know things that they've never dreamed of before,” she said.

As Loh finishes her junior year of high school, she expressed the possibility of art school after graduation, but, while she is still uncertain of the future, said art will not be dropped anytime soon.

“I can definitely see [art school] being a possibility. I’ll have to spend some time, especially with God trying to figure out what he wants me to do. But, I don't think art is going out of my life anytime soon,” she said.

Denver Newsroom, May 7, 2020 / 06:01 pm (CNA).- A young Catholic artist has drawn an image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on her parents' driveway bringing religious art to her local community during the quarantine.

The Diocese of Fargo posted on Facebook May 4 an image of Our Lady of Lourdes drawn by Maria Loh, a 17-year old who grew up in Fargo. She said it was an enjoyable experience to share her faith and art with her neighborhood.

“Being able to interact with people when they walked by was very moving in a way because a lot of people have never really seen sidewalk art done like that locally. So being able to share in that kind of experience, it was very, very good,” she told CNA.

Loh has recently been inspired by chalk art and pastels, which, she said, have vibrant and beautiful colors. She has drawn on the sidewalks a few times, including two images of Mary - Madonna of the Lillies and the Pieta by William Adolphe-Bouguereau.

Her most recent chalk drawing was Our Lady of Lourdes by Hector Garrido - an image she had seen as a magnet on her grandparents' refrigerator growing up. The picture has always been an inspiration, she said, noting that she decided to replicate it after Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in France had temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“I heard that the shrine had been temporarily closed off to the public, and I remember … thinking that's really sad because especially in this time, we’re really looking for healing in more ways than one, like physically and mentally and spiritually,” she said.

“It really felt like people wouldn't be able to go to experience that. So I felt like drawing this image of Our Lady of Lourdes would be a good way to remind people that Our Lady is still with us even if we can’t go to her shrine.”

Loh, the oldest of five, has been involved with art projects and drawing for her entire life. She said, growing up in a Catholic family, she has been inspired by her faith and the religious art in churches.

“I see our faith as so precious... Especially in the form of the Eucharist - the actual body and blood of Christ, I've seen that we are very blessed to have that in our faith. It's something that has impacted a lot of my life growing up,” she said.

While she was working on the piece, Loh said, a majority of passersby did not know who the lady in the image was. She expressed hope that the picture would help remind people of Mary and the beauty of the Church, which, she said, is a powerful attraction to the faith.

“One thing that I hope this kind of art and image will evoke is a desire to come to know who Mary is and how rich our faith is. … All the beautiful art that can be seen in Catholic churches, especially like in Rome, there's almost a transcendental beauty to them that draws people into the faith to come to know things that they've never dreamed of before,” she said.

As Loh finishes her junior year of high school, she expressed the possibility of art school after graduation, but, while she is still uncertain of the future, said art will not be dropped anytime soon.

“I can definitely see [art school] being a possibility. I’ll have to spend some time, especially with God trying to figure out what he wants me to do. But, I don't think art is going out of my life anytime soon,” she said.

Vatican City, May 6, 2020 / 09:30 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Wednesday advanced the sainthood causes of five men and women, including an Italian teenager who died of a brain tumor in 2009, declaring them “venerable.”

After a May 5 meeting with Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, the pope approved the heroic virtue of Italian priests Francesco Caruso (1879-1951) and Carmelo De Palma (1876-1961), as well as the Spanish Redemptorist priest Francisco Barrecheguren Montagut (1881-1957).

Before becoming a priest, Barrecheguren Montagut was married (he was later widowed) and had a daughter, Maria de la Concepción Barrecheguren García (1905-1927), who was also declared venerable by the pope May 6.

The fifth sainthood cause to move a step toward canonization was that of Italian teenager Matteo Farina, who lived from 1990 to 2009. 

Farina grew up in a strong Christian family in the southern Italian town of Brindisi. He was very close to his sister, Erika.

The parish where he received the sacraments was under the care of Capuchin friars, from whom he gained a devotion to St. Francis and St. Padre Pio. 

The postulator of Farina’s cause for sainthood said that from a young age Farina had the desire to learn new things, always undertaking his activities with diligence, whether it was school or sports or his passion for music.

Starting at eight years old, he would receive the sacrament of reconciliation often. He was also devoted to the Word of God. At nine years old, he read the entire Gospel of St. Matthew as a Lenten practice. Farina also prayed the rosary every day.

When he was nine years old, he had a dream in which he heard St. Padre Pio tell him that if he understood that “who is without sin is happy,” he must help others to understand this, “so that we can all go together, happy, to the kingdom of heaven.”

From that point onward, Farina felt a strong desire to evangelize, especially among his peers, which he did politely and without presumption.

He once wrote about this desire, saying “I hope to succeed in my mission to ‘infiltrate’ among young people, speaking to them about God (illuminated by God himself); I observe those around me, to enter among them as silent as a virus and infect them with an incurable disease, Love!”

In September 2003, a month before his 13th birthday, Farina began to have symptoms of what would later be diagnosed as a brain tumor. As he was undergoing medical tests, he began to keep a journal. He called the experience of the bad headaches and pain “one of those adventures that change your life and that of others. It helps you to be stronger and to grow, above all in faith.”

Over the next six years, Farina would experience several brain operations and undergo chemotherapy and other treatments for the tumor.

His love for Mary strengthened during this time and he consecrated himself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In between hospitalizations, he continued to live the ordinary life of a teenager: he attended school, hung out with his friends, formed a band, and fell in love with a girl. 

He later called the chaste relationship he had with Serena during his last two years of life “the most beautiful gift" the Lord could give him.

When he was 15, he reflected on friendship, saying “I would like to be able to integrate with my peers without being forced to imitate them in mistakes. I would like to feel more involved in the group, without having to renounce my Christian principles. It’s difficult. Difficult but not impossible.”

Eventually, the teenager’s condition worsened and after a third surgery he became paralyzed in his left arm and leg. He would often repeat that “we must live every day as if it were the last, but not in the sadness of death, but rather in the joy of being ready to meet the Lord!”

Farina died surrounded by his friends and family on April 24, 2009. 

Francesca Consolini, the postulator of Farina’s cause, wrote on a website dedicated to the young venerable that in him emerged “a deep inner commitment oriented toward purifying his heart from every sin” and he experienced this spirituality “not with heaviness, effort or pessimism; indeed, from his words there emerges constant trust in God, a tenacious, determined and serene gaze turned to the future...”

Farina often thought about the faith and the “difficulty of going against the current.” Concerned about a lack of good faith education for young people, he undertook this task among his own peers. 

He once wrote in his journal: “When you feel that you can’t do it, when the world falls on you, when every choice is a critical decision, when every action is a failure ... and you would like to throw everything away, when intense work reduces you to the limit of strength ... take time to take care of your soul, love God with your whole being and reflect his love for others.”

Students from the US show Irish teens what a life with Jesus looks like during a week of outreach in a community school and town centre.

God changes teens' lives during TeenStreet Queensland in Australia at the beginning of July.

On 1 July 350 teens and leaders poured into the University of Queensland, Australia, for five days of fun and discipleship.

Teens in Europe are gathered this week to connect with Jesus and each other. A month ago, teenagers in Australia had this experience.

Whenever I tell people that I’m involved in beauty pageants, they immediately think of the stereotypical beauty pageant contestants on TV show Toddlers and Tiaras. They imagine everyone involved has false teeth, artificial hair and fake tan which is far from true. The ethos at Miss Scotland is always to be yourself.

THE Celtic Connections music festival last night lifted the curtain on next year’s line up – and revealed it will be kicking off the 700th celebrations of the Declaration of Arbroath.

At first glance, it could seem that teenagers just really, really hate high school. But Yale researchers found deeper student engagement issues.

Three high school basketball players in Tennessee were charged with aggravated rape and aggravated assault in late December after allegedly sending one of their 15-year-old teammates to the hospital.

Suicide rates increased by 76 percent for 15- to 19-year-olds between 2007 and 2017 and nearly tripled for 10- 14-year-olds, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A growing number of students—especially girls—are experiencing bullying online, according to the latest federal data on bullying and crime in schools.

It has been well documented that exposure to tobacco marketing is a risk factor for smoking initiation among youth. However, few studies have tested the specificity of this association.

This study extends findings from other studies and shows (from a longitudinal design) that exposure to cigarette advertising is significantly associated with youth smoking initiation, whereas exposure to advertising for other commercial products is not. (Read the full article)

Media reports suggest that adolescents are being charged with sex crimes and even placed on sex offender registries because of participating in the "sexting" of sexual images, but the nature and outcomes of such incidents have not been described empirically.

This is the first study to examine types of sexting cases handled by police. It informs clinicians by identifying characteristics of "aggravated" versus milder incidents and finding that most youth were not arrested. Sex offender registration was rare. (Read the full article)

Most states require driver education (DE) for novice drivers, and several recent substantial efforts have sought to realign DE with the aim of producing safer drivers. However, teen participation rates and how they differ among relevant subgroups remain unknown.

This study provides national estimates of teen driver participation in formal DE, a recognized gap in the literature, and identifies disparities in behind-the-wheel training among certain racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender groups, particularly in jurisdictions without a DE requirement. (Read the full article)

Primary care settings provide an important venue for early detection of substance use and intervention, but adolescent screening rates need improvement. Screening and brief interventions appear effective in reducing adult problem drinking but evidence for effectiveness among adolescents is needed.

A computer-facilitated system for screening, feedback, and provider brief advice for primary care can increase adolescent receipt of substance use screening across a variety of practice settings, and shows promise for reducing adolescents’ use of alcohol and cannabis. (Read the full article)

Youth violence and alcohol misuse are a preventable public health problem. Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy of brief interventions in the emergency department (ED) in reducing alcohol misuse and related consequences among older adolescents and adults.

This study supports the efficacy of brief interventions in the ED in reducing peer aggression and victimization 12 months after ED visit. The previous reductions in alcohol consequences noted at 6 months follow-up were not sustained at 12 months. (Read the full article)

Electronic cigarettes are battery-powered devices that simulate tobacco cigarettes by vaporizing nicotine and other chemicals into an inhalable mist. They have gained popularity around the world, but little is known about their safety and addictive properties.

Among Polish youth, electronic cigarettes are the fourth most common source of nicotine after cigarettes, waterpipes, and snuff. For those aged between 15 and 24 years, ever use of an electronic cigarette was 20.9%, and 30-day use was 6.9%. (Read the full article)

Today’s adolescents increasingly use the Internet to explore their sexual identity. There is public concern that the Internet, because of its accessibility, affordability, and anonymity, stimulates adolescents to engage in online sexual risk behavior (eg, sending sexual images to strangers).

This 4-wave panel study is the first to delineate the typical development of online sexual risk behavior, its relationship with offline sexual risk behavior, and the factors (eg, sensation seeking, family cohesion, life satisfaction, education, online communication) that predict both behaviors. (Read the full article)

Although a number of cross-sectional studies have documented associations between teen dating violence victimization and adverse health outcomes, including sexual risk behaviors, suicidality, substance use, and depression, longitudinal work examining the relationship between victimization and outcomes is limited.

This study is the first to demonstrate the longitudinal associations between teen dating violence victimization and multiple young adult health outcomes in a nationally representative sample. Findings emphasize the need for screening and intervention for both male and female victims. (Read the full article)

The reasons why teens are not immunized are related to parental lack of knowledge and the need for provider recommendations.

The reasons for vaccine refusal for human papillomavirus vaccine differ from other teen vaccines, and concerns about its safety are increasing over time. (Read the full article)

Despite downward trends, the US teen birth rate remains among the highest of developed nations. Childhood maltreatment may place teens at higher risk, but inferences are weak given a lack of prospective study and control for alternative explanations.

Results from the first controlled, prospective study of nulliparous teenagers confirm that victims of maltreatment are more than twice as likely as their nonmaltreated peers to experience a teen childbirth after controlling for demographic confounds and other known risk factors. (Read the full article)

The United States switched from whole-cell to acellular pertussis vaccines during the 1990s. Whether pertussis risk during a California outbreak differed between teenagers who previously received whole-cell or acellular pertussis vaccines early in life has not been reported.

We evaluated pertussis risk in 10 to 17 year olds at Kaiser Permanente Northern California during a recent pertussis outbreak. Those given whole-cell pertussis vaccines in childhood were more protected than those given acellular pertussis vaccines. (Read the full article)

Adolescents and young adults consume a significant amount of health care resources in our current medical system. With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a much larger number of previously uninsured young adults (aged ≥19) will be covered.

The Military Health System provides valuable information about the health utilization patterns of adolescents and young adults (aged 12–22) with universal insurance and excellent access to care. This information may help us understand the impact of new health care legislation. (Read the full article)

Cross-sectional research indicates that teen sexting is common, may be associated with other adolescent behaviors such as substance use, does not appear to be a marker of mental well being, and is probably an indicator of actual sexual behaviors.

Although mounting evidence links teen sexting to sexual behavior, little is known about the temporal sequencing of these 2 behaviors. Knowing which comes first will aid tween- and teen-focused health care providers in their interaction with patients and patients’ parents. (Read the full article)

Cyber dating abuse victimization has been correlated with physical, sexual, and psychological adolescent relationship abuse.

This is the first clinic-based study of cyber dating abuse. Forty-one percent of youth reported cyber dating abuse victimization, female more than male respondents. Compared with nonexposed youth, abuse victims reported more sexual assault; female victims reported more contraceptive nonuse and reproductive coercion. (Read the full article)

A group of Bulgarian teenagers and leaders took part in this year’s TeenStreet Europe for the first time and experienced God in new ways.

French teens attend TeenStreet 2012 and help raise money for youth ministry in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

A church youth group sees God provide finances for the teens to attend TeenStreet Europe 2013 in Germany.

Teens learn about the REAL Jesus of the Bible and how to have a REAL relationship with Him at TeenStreet 2011 in Offenburg, Germany.

Leader of OM Germany serves in the kitchen during TeenStreet, OM’s annual week-long international youth congress that started on Saturday.

TeenStreet 2015 encouraged thousands of participants from around the world to be HOME with God, experiencing His presence in their daily lives.

During TeenStreet 2016 a group of 29 people went to a refugee camp in Oldenburg, Germany to share the love of Christ.

Summary of TeenStreet 2016 in Oldenburg, Germany